Love in a Different Time
by keep-turning-the-pages
Summary: When Scott finds a beautiful necklace in an old shop while searching for a gift, he buys it, unaware of the powers it possesses. Soon enough, after a particular experience Scott had, he and Mitch (and the occasional Pentatonix member) embark on strange adventures, experience sexual tension between each other, and, eventually try to save the world. Scomiche.
1. Mystique's

Scott was watching TV with Wyatt when Mitch practically skipped in, a huge grin on his face. Scott furrowed his brow and smiled, amused and confused. "What's got you so pleased?"

Mitch stood in front of him and dangled a slip of paper in his face. "I got a boy's number," he sang, still smiling happily. Scott tried to ignore the drop of his stomach and plastered a grin on his own face. "That's great!" It caused him a great pain to say the sentence cheerfully. "Who is he?"

Mitch plopped himself down next to Scott and exhaled, satisfied. "His name is Travis, and I met him at the gym. I mean, we've talked a few times, but this time was just..."

_He still has that goofy grin on his face, _Scott thought, irritated. Mitch sighed happily, unaware of Scott's less than pleased thoughts. "It was just great."

"So when are you going to call him?"

"I don't know; maybe tomorrow? Is that a good time?"

Scott tried to keep his jealousy down to a minimum. Mitch was happy, so Scott should be happy. Besides, it was his own fault that he didn't have the guts to ask Mitch out himself.

"Are you sure you want to call him? He could be a creeper, for all you know," Scott internally winced at how cold he sounded, even to his own ears. He hadn't meant to sound that harsh.

Mitch gave him a weird look. "Yeah, but if I thought like that, I wouldn't ever date." He laughed, albeit a little nervously, and scratched the back of his head.

"But you've only talked to him a few times, you should at least go for coffee or something first," Scott argued.

Mitch smiled at him, clearly indicating that he thought Scott was acting like an idiot. "Yes, Scott, that's why he gave me his number," he shook the paper at Scott. "So that we could do that. So I could call him and make plans for a coffee date or whatever."

Scott will admit that he may have let his jealousy get the better of him. "What I'm saying is that you should try to be _friends _before going out on a date." He might have raised his voice slightly. He ignored the hurt in Mitch's eyes.

"But I'm interested in him in a _romantic_ way, Scott, not in a friendly way."

"I don't like this Mitch. Just get to know him better before you date!"

Mitch looked taken aback, and Scott immediately felt guilty. "I didn't think you'd react like this, Scott," Mitch's voice held obvious hurt in it. "I thought you'd be at least a _little_ happy for me."

Scott's jealously flared up again. "Well I _don't_, Mitch. You're just going to have to live with it. You're an idiot for thinking like this." He spat.

Mitch looked up at him, shocked. "Scott?" he sounded close to tears. Scott glared at him. "I need to get away from here." He said harshly. He stood suddenly. "I need some fresh air."

"Scott, wait—"

Scott grabbed his jacket, walking out of the apartment and into the crisp air outside.

As soon as he had made it ten steps out, Scott wanted to go back inside and apologize to Mitch. He had been completely unfair and had let his jealousy control his words. He regretted everything he had said in the previous conversation. But he couldn't muster up the bravery to march into his apartment and say that he's sorry.

He marched down the street, passing restaurants, cafés, and shops, until he finally slowed down enough to check his location. He was somewhere on Hollywood Blvd., by a small cluster of old shops. He checked his watch. It was almost midnight. He should probably man up and go apologize to Mitch.

He turned around and headed towards home at a slower pace, until something caught his eye.

It was an old, musty smelling shop called _Mystique's, _and basically all it was, was a pawn shop full of knick knacks and trinkets. He didn't know _what _about the store drew him towards it, but he walked in anyway, entranced.

He browsed the disorganized shelves, looking for something interesting, maybe something for Mitch, and he ran across an ancient looking necklace.

It was a rock with blue veins running through it, almost seeming to glow, and its rich, brown color gleamed in the dimly lit shop. Two markings were painted on it in white: an addition sign at the top and a subtraction at the bottom. It hung on a fraying cord, a small spiral of metal attaching rock to rope.

Scott lifted it off of the display, the blue veins illuminating in his eyes. "Whoa," he said quietly.

"That's an old one."

Scott jumped about five feet and nearly dropped the necklace in his surprise. He whipped his head around to see the offender, a little old African-American woman with a smile on her face. He let out a sigh of relief. He raised the necklace up so that she could see it. "This is old?"

The old woman laughed. "Yes, it's been in here since before even _my _shop opened, and that's old. It belonged to the shop before us, which was a shady place. We meant to return it to the owner, but my daughter simply couldn't let it go. She's gone on a trip, though, and I've been trying to sell the thing before she gets back home." She stuck out a plump hand. "I'm Mystique, by the way."

Scott took her hand and they shook. "I'm Scott, and I think I just might be your buyer."

Mystique smiled as she led him to the counter. "I'd assumed you were; you looked awful interested in that necklace of yours."

As the old woman scanned the price tag with her scanner, Scott asked, "Um, do you think you would have anything that would work as an apology gift?"

Mystique shot him a disapproving look. "What did you do, boy?" Guilt once again dropped in Scott's stomach, and he looked at the floor sheepishly. "It's hard to explain. It's sort of a long story." Mystique placed her head in her hand and gestured around the store with her other hand. "Does it look like I'm busy or something to you?"

Scott sighed in slight annoyance. "No."

"Then I'm pretty sure we have enough time for a story."

"Alright, fine. My friend, Mitch, he came home with a guy's number, and he was really happy," Scott paused and looked at Mystique. She looked back at him, offended. "What? You think I'm just another homophobic bastard that's scared of a little change?" Scott smiled at her, warmth for the old woman filling his chest. She rolled her eyes. "Aren't you going to continue, Space-Head?"

"Um, yeah. So I might have a little, er, _crush, _youmight say, on him. So, I overreacted and I was a complete jerk to him about it. I feel _really _bad, Mystique, and I just walked out on the argument, so now I don't really know how to fix this. That's why I need an apology present."

Mystique gave him a look. "Boy, you shouldn't be doing those kinds of things to the people who care about you, no matter what the excuse is. You're an idiot for dong that, son." She shook her head at him, tight-lipped. "But I do think I might have the thing for you."

She led him somewhere in the back of the store, where the cluttered shelves were stuffed so full of items it was near overflowing. Mystique stood on tip toe and pulled a small box from the top of the shelf, carful not to knock anything down. "Your friend, does he like jewelry?" Scott grinned, amused. "Yeah, he wears it all the time. He's such a drama queen about it too. He knows what seems like every jeweler on the planet."

The woman's disapproving expression softened into a gentle smile. "It's obvious that you like him a lot." She opened the box and presented what was inside. A small bracelet rested on the red cushion. It was simple, made out of a silver chain, with a gold circle in the middle. An Ohm symbol was etched into the metal: Ω

Scott openly gaped at it and took the box from her gently. "Wow. He'll definitely love this. He's really into all that symbol stuff, even though he doesn't know what any of it means."

Mystique smiled warmly at him. "Now, I'll give that to you for free, because that crush of yours clearly deserves it." Scott frowned at her.

"How? You don't even know him."

This time, her grin was mischievous. "Because he has to put up with you, that's how."

"Hey!" Scott laughed, pretending to be hurt. "That's not fair!" Mystique placed a hand on his shoulder, raising an eyebrow. "Enough chit-chat. I should have closed a while ago. Now, go and apologize, boy!"

They went to the doorway and Scott paused just as he was about to go out. "Thank you, Mystique." The old woman shook her head and practically shoved him out the door. "Forget me, boy, and go say you're sorry!"

Scott left, grinning, and headed down the street, swinging his bag along the way.

As soon as he got to the door to his apartment, he stopped, his heart pumping. He inhaled deeply through his nose and thought about the bracelet he was going to give Mitch. He could do this. He had to do this.

He pushed the door open and walked inside bravely, only to find the flat empty and all of the lights turned off.

He groaned, suddenly remembering the time. He looked at his watch and stifled another groan. It was nearing two o' clock in the morning. Of course Mitch had gone to bed. Scott sighed and went to his room, setting the bag of items on his bed.

He sat on the mattress and buried his face in his hands, stressed. This was not going well. Now he would have to wait another day before he could apologize to Mitch, and that felt like too long. Scott reached into the plastic bag and pulled out the unusual necklace, admiring how the blue veins glowed in the darkness.

He ran his thumb over the shiny rock and traced the blue lines, entertaining himself. He was unable to sleep with his mind on Mitch.

Scott squinted at the rock through the darkness and placed his thumb over the white addition sign painted on it. Suddenly, a blindingly white light filled his vision and he felt the sensation of being pulled forward, and a dizzying feeling was all he could focus on.

Suddenly he halted to stop, and he slowly began to regain his sight. As soon as his ability to see was normal, he pieced together that he was now in a desert. He was sitting down on the ground, feeling the white sand burn with heat from the sun, which was high up in the sky. It appeared as though he was sitting in the middle of nowhere.

Scott began to freak out.

_What the Hell? How did I get here? Am I dead? Is this actually Hell?_

He didn't know where he was or how he had gotten there, and all he knew was that he was in a desert, explaining the scorching heat and sand.

"Help!" he screamed, desperate for at least a sign of life. "Help! I don't know where I am!" No one answered. Scott swallowed and got to his feet, scanning the area.

He knew this sudden change of location had something to do with the necklace, and he wanted to throw it to the ground and stomp on it. But, he knew that it might also be able to get him back, so he kept hold of it and stuffed it into his back pocket. He had already begun to sweat under the baking heat of the sun.

His blue eyes swept over the horizon, and he spotted a small silhouette of a house in the close distance. He hardened his resolve and headed in the direction of the house, his courage faltering. He had to get home, and this was the only possible way he would be able to.

He kept a closed fist around his necklace, and for the first time in his life, he prayed.

_Please help me get back home to Mitch. _


	2. Into the Future

Scott had been walking for a total of three minutes, according to his watch, but it felt like hours in the boiling heat. All he could think about was getting to shade and water, which the house would hopefully provide.

The sun was merciless, beating down on his back until he removed his jacket, which only helped cool him slightly. He was sure that he was going to die before he got back to Mitch. He panted and debated on taking off his shirt, before deciding against it. He didn't want to freak out whoever was at the house. He was almost there anyway.

When the house finally came into a clear clarity, not affected by heat waves, Scott felt his stomach drop in disappointment.

It wasn't inhabited, that much was obvious. The roof was nearing to be extinct, and the smell of rotting wood was almost overpowering. From his place in the doorway, Scott could see ragged furniture lying around in other rooms. Most of the walls appeared to be knocked out, with only one left standing. He could see no signs of life.

He felt tears prick his eyes, but he refused to cry. At least he had a home-base.

As soon as he walked in confidently, already mapping out what functions each room would be for, he heard something that sounded like a stringed instrument and a few muttered words from behind the one wall. His heart stopped and he froze, excitement almost overcoming him. "H-hello?" he called.

Immediately a sound akin to wood snapping followed his call, and scuffling noises came from behind the wall. "Who are you?" a voice asked sharply. Scott's heart leapt in recognition. "Kevin?" No response followed. "It's Scott!" he informed the beat boxer.

An older-looking Kevin with silver streaking through his hair appeared from behind the wall, a look of shock upon his face. "Scott?" he whispered in what sounded like horror. "What are you doing here?"

Scott half-smiled. "I, uh, got lost." Kevin's expression was suddenly cold, the surprise faded away already. "We told you to get lost a long time ago."

Scott laughed nervously. "What?"

Kevin approached him menacingly. "You aren't welcome here, Scott, not after what you did."

"What did I do?" Scott squeaked. Kevin looked murderous. "You know what you did, you—" he stopped himself and backed away, squinting at Scott. "You look younger."

Scott was hit with realization. "Kevin?" he asked warily, glancing at the other man and noticing new lines on his face. "What year is this?" Understanding flickered across Kevin's face. "It's 2024. What year are you from?" Scott tried to refrain from hyperventilating. "2014."

They stared at each other until Kevin sat down, his back against the wall. Scott sat down across from him and asked, "Do you have any way for me to get back?" he sounded desperate, even to his own ears. Kevin shook his head sadly. "No, they destroyed all time machines, a couple years back. Actually, it was the fact that we could travel through time that the world is like this now."

Scott had completely forgotten the necklace by now. He swallowed the lump of tears forming in his throat. "What?"

Kevin truly looked sorrowful. "I'm sorry, Scott. The people that went back in time changed to many things. They eventually changed it so much that Japan was able to bomb us. Not just one or two states, even, they bombed the entire United States." Scott squeezed his eyes shut and buried his face into his knees, willing himself not to cry.

Kevin crawled over and pulled him into a comforting hug and muttering, "Man, it's been a long time since I've hugged you. In fact, it's been a long time since we were friends. I missed you. I missed the old you."

Scott pulled away from the hug and stared at Kevin questioningly. "Why?" Kevin looked at him, confused. "Why what?"

"Why has it been a long time since we've been friends?"

Kevin looked at him sadly. "I'm not going to tell you, Scott. There still might be a chance that you won't make the same mistake." Scott frowned. "What mistake?" Kevin smiled at him softly. "I'm not telling, remember?"

The last thing Scott wanted to do was to let the conversation drop, but his changed the subject anyway, knowing that he wasn't going to get anything out of Kevin. "Where are the others?"

Kevin pointed at the doorway. "Avi's out trying to hunt for food and Kirstie's out with Lindsey, Lindsey Stirling." He laughed at Scott's expression. "Yeah, I know. We ran into her a couple years back." Scott smiled.

"And Mitch?"

Kevin's expression instantly dropped. "Mitch is dead."

The whole world seemed to stop, and all Scott felt was a numbness spreading through his body. "Oh," he said in a small voice, and Kevin pulled him in for another hug. Scott let his tears fall into Kevin's shoulder. "But maybe you can change that, too." Kevin whispered into Scott's ear. They sat there like that for a long time, until they heard heavy footfalls from right behind them. The broke apart and looked up to find Avi, a dead animal in his hand.

The animal slipped out of his grasp and thudded to the floor, but Avi made no move to pick it up. He was to busy staring in shock at the two. "What?"

Kevin got to his feet and walked calmly to Avi, who backed away quickly. "What are you doing with _him?_" Avi pointed at Scott accusingly. Kevin placed a hand on his shoulder, but Avi just jerked way. "Do you _remember _what he did, Kevin? He's the _entire _reason Mitch—" he broke of, his voice cracking. Kevin approached him. "I know what he did, Avi, but this isn't the same Scott."

Avi gave him a confused look. Kevin smiled comfortingly at him and explained the situation, and Avi had an expression of understanding etched upon his features. Avi cracked a reluctant grin at Scott. "So, I guess you'll be eating with us, huh?" Scott smiled back, pleased at having another person he could trust around. "Yes. It's good to know that you still have the beard." Avi laughed, and the tension between them dissolved.

Kirstie and Lindsey had similar reactions when they got back to the old house, but were surprisingly warm and welcoming when they learned of the situation. Lindsey had even said, "Welcome to the club, kid."

But Scott still found himself wondering what his future self had done to deserve that kind of treatment from his friends. Avi had mentioned something about Mitch. What had he done to Mitch? He hoped he wasn't the reason why Mitch was dead.

He spent the hour before the mammal was cooked pondering this, and was actually surprised when Avi called, "Dinner's cooked!"

"Really?" Scott said.

Avi laughed, a big, booming sound, and gave Scott a small, cracked bowl. "Yes, really. It's not fast food, but it's the best of what we can get."

The five sat in a circle around the floor and ate. Scott swirled the stew around his bowl with his spoon, tentatively eyeing the meat. Avi frowned at him. Scott smiled and quickly scooped up a chunk and stuffed it into his mouth, sending a reassuring thumbs up to the bass. It actually tasted alright, so he continued to eat.

"You know," Kevin said when they were all done eating and just staring at the fire. The sun had set a while ago. "If the current Scott was here when Past-Scott appeared, they would have caused a time warp." Scott glanced up from the fire, an interested look on his face. Kevin spoke again. "They would have created a black hole, and that would have sucked anyone and anything within a fifty mile radius in."

Scott smiled and chuckled, patting the beat boxer's shoulder. "It's good to know that you're still the smart one in the group." Everyone laughed, reminiscing in the times before the bombing. Scott continued to try to think up ways he can get back. He couldn't think of any. "But now that I'm stuck here, we're bound to run into each other sometime. Be prepared for a black hole, everybody," he said, voicing his thoughts out loud.

No one said anything in response, and so they sat there in silence. Scott shifted uncomfortably.

"Wait!" Avi shouted suddenly, interrupting and making everyone jump. He ignored their grumbling and turned his eyes towards Scott urgently. "Scott, how did you even _get_ here?" Scott's eyes widened, the obvious answer to his problem coming to him.

He felt like an idiot.

"This necklace," he said excitedly, fishing the piece of jewelry out of his pocket. Avi rolled his eyes fondly and took the necklace from Scott, examining it.

"Did you ever think of using this?"

Scott smiled sheepishly. "I totally forgot I even had it."

Avi shook his head and showed the rock to Scott, pointing at the addition symbol. "Did you press this before you came here?"

"Yeah."

Avi looked at him with mock worry on his features. "You might be a little touched in the head if you didn't think to press the subtraction sign." Scott scowled and snatched the necklace from the bass. "Shut up."

He then stood, the necklace in his hands, his heart beating rapidly. "Well, this is goodbye, I guess," he said to them all nervously, scanning their faces. He will see them soon, but they won't see him. The actual him, not whatever he has become.

Kirstie stood up with him, tears in her eyes, and she ran over to him. She wrapped her arms tightly around him and whispered into his ear, "You have no idea how much I missed you, Scott. And I'll miss you even more when you leave." When she pulled back, he gave her a watery smile. "I'll miss you too, Kirst."

Next was Avi, who nearly squeezed Scott to death. "I'll miss you. I wish I could go back with you. It's like Hell on Earth here."

"If it really is, you should stay here and change that fact," Scott said, grinning and placing a hand on the shorter man's shoulder.

Kevin also gave him a crushing embrace, and even Lindsey gave him a hug.

Finally, when all the goodbyes were finished, Scott's finger hovered over the subtraction symbol. He took one last final look at them. "Avi, I could kiss you, I'm so grateful. Thank you for thinking of this." The bass laughed. "Save that kiss for Mitch, Scott."

Scott's finger had already pressed against the marking, but he still had enough time to shoot Avi a look of surprise. "How do you know—"

Then everything went white.

The next thing Scott knew was that he was sitting, blinking blearily, in his bedroom at five o'clock in the morning. He stared at the necklace in amazement. That small thing had just taken him a decade into the future and right back again, only a few hours off. He glanced at the clock again, an idea settling into his brain. He knew exactly how he would apologize to Mitch.

Soon enough, Scott was standing in the kitchen, all the supplies for pancakes, eggs, and sausages lied out before him. He was going to make Mitch the best breakfast-in-bed in the entirety of space and time. It was going to be epic.

He left the ingredients on the counter and watched TV until eight, so that Mitch could sleep in and also have a warm breakfast. He whipped up the eggs and pancakes as the sausages cooked, and breakfast was made by nine. He placed the food onto two trays and walked into Mitch's room, assuming he was still asleep.

He wasn't. Scott was startled to find him fully dressed and sitting on his bed, reading a book. Mitch's head shot up as soon as Scott waltzed in. "Scott?"

Scott's heart was pumping so hard that he was worried Mitch could hear it. "I brought you breakfast," he held up a tray. "In bed. As an apology for my bitchy-ness last night."

Mitch stared at him for a few seconds before his expression melted into one of happiness and disbelief. A huge grin split his face. "I didn't think you'd apologize." Scott smiled back and sat down on the edge of Mitch's bed, passing him a tray. He was a little hurt that Mitch thought so lowly of him, and he vowed to change that fact.

Mitch took the tray from him, giving him a stern look and saying, "Scott. We need to talk."

Scott sighed and scooted closer to his crush, his heart fluttering as he did so. "I know, Mitch. I'm really, really sorry."

"Do you mean that? Or are you just saying it?"

"I mean it. I _really_ mean it, Mitch," Scott pulled the boxed bracelet out from behind his back and presented it to Mitch, who audibly gasped. "What are doing?"

"I'm giving you an apology gift, not proposing to you, idiot. Now, take it before my arm gets tired."

Mitch laughed and took the box from him gently. "You didn't have to Scott, I've already forgiven you." Scott felt warmth rush through him and he felt like he could fly. He was forgiven.

"I _wanted_ to get you this. Go ahead and open it." Mitch gave him a look that clearly said, '_are-you-sure?'._ Scott nodded enthusiastically.

Mitch flipped open the box. "Whoa." His expression was one of shock as he lifted the bracelet out. "Oh my God, Scott!" he flung his arms around Scott, who hugged back just as tightly. "Thank you! It's gorgeous!"

"No need to thank me," Scott said softly, never wanting the hug to end.

He suddenly thought of the necklace. He should show Mitch what it could do. "Mitch? I have something to show you. It's not another present, so don't get too excited." Mitch giggled into Scott's shoulder, obviously elated. Scott practically melted at the sound.

"Alright. Show me this 'special object'." Mitch said, his tone amused.

Scott grinned. Mitch was in for a shock. "I will."


	3. Monsterous Rome

_**WARNING: THERE IS A SMALL AMOUNT OF VIOLENCE IN THIS CHAPTER, ALTHOUGH VERY LITTLE**_

Scott dragged Mitch down the hall and to his bedroom eagerly, absolutely unable to contain his excitement.

"Whoa!" Mitch laughed as Scott tugged him down onto the bed urgently. Scott grinned and snatched the necklace off of his dresser, dangling it in front of Mitch's nose. Mitch raised an eyebrow, peering at Scott from behind the necklace. "It's lovely," he remarked.

"No, you don't understand," Scott plopped himself down next to Mitch so that their shoulders were touching and looked him in the eye. "It can travel through time."

Mitch stared at him for a few moments before bursting into giggles. "What?"

Scott rolled his eyes, slightly annoyed. "Look, I know it's hard to believe, but I'm being completely serious."

"But that's physically impossible!" Mitch said, gesturing to the stone. "It's a _rock, _Scott, it can't have the technology."

Scott widened his eyes meaningfully. "Listen, I don't know _how _it _works_, but I'm telling the truth!"

"Mhm, of course you are," Mitch said sarcastically, tracing the Ohm symbol on his bracelet absentmindedly. "I can prove it to you! Which one do you want to go to: the future or the past?" Scott asked, studying the rock carefully.

But Mitch wasn't listening; the Ohm symbol carved into his bracelet was emitting a soft, glowing, golden light. Mitch's head shot up to look at Scott, but Scott was busy rambling nonsense to himself while staring at the stone on his necklace. Mitch's eyes darted down to bracelet, and he turned it over, reading the back of the piece of jewelry. _Made in Rome._

"Rome?" Mitch mumbled to himself, reaching down to touch the symbol just as Scott pressed on his necklace firmly.

The world was a sudden swirl of color, and Mitch could hear different sounds melding together to create one dull roar. He felt as though he was being yanked violently in several different directions. For a brief moment, he even smelled the ocean. He could feel Scott's shoulder still firmly pressed against his, and Mitch found the blonde's hand, holding onto it tightly and squeezing his eyes shut.

They instantly halted to a stop, and Mitch opened his eyes. He caught a glimpse of a white building before they were suddenly in motion again, although this feeling was different. His vision was clouded with white, and he felt the sensation of being pulled backwards. He felt like he was spinning on a top, or maybe a carnival ride. Luckily, he could still feel Scott's hand in his, and he gripped it tightly in fear.

Again, they came to a stop quickly. Mitch stumbled backwards slightly, his eyes still closed and mentally preparing himself for another unusual rollercoaster ride. But, they remained relatively still, and he opened his eyes. He gasped in abject horror and amazement.

They were standing on a street busy with people, and everything appeared to be made out of stone. They stood near a tall, circular building, and people were running around in togas, eyeing Mitch's clothes distastefully.

Mitch looked up at the circular building beside him; he recognized the structure from photographs, although it looked a lot newer. It was the Colliseum in Rome, where ancient Romans would hold fights and sports.

"Are we…?" Mitch didn't complete his thought, but Scott finished it for him. "In Rome? Yes, I believe we are."

He didn't appear to be experiencing the same rising feeling of panic that Mitch was. In fact, he appeared almost _calm. _

It didn't make any sense whatsoever. How had they gotten there? Why were they in the _past?_

"How are we here?" Mitch asked quietly, in a sort of shock. Scott glanced him and grabbed his hand, squeezing it gently. "I pressed my necklace at the same time you pressed your bracelet. My necklace can time travel, and your bracelet must have some sort of teleporting power. They must've combined their abilities when we used them at the same time."

Mitch still found it hard to believe, even though the proof was right in front of him. He couldn't believe it; he didn't _want _to believe it. "This isn't possible," Mitch muttered, half to himself. "This is definitely a dream."

Scott half-smiled at him. "It's not a dream Mitch. It's happening. This is all real."

Mitch inhaled shakily and tried to focus on how Scott hand felt real and solid in his own. He smiled weakly. "Alright. Okay," He wanted to sit down somewhere, but, instead, he remained standing and leaned on Scott for support anyway. He was completely oblivious to the catch in Scott's breath when he leaned on the blonde.

"_Vide, quod ibi! More portenta contra naturam!" _A gruff voice shouted. Mitch glanced around before spotting a Roman officer garbed in heavy, metal armor making his way towards them, accompanied by three more guards.

"Scott…." Mitch said, putting a warning tone in his voice. Scott squeezed his hand reassuringly. The officer and his buddies stopped at just a few feet away from Mitch and Scott.

"_Leo dingus sit in pugna! __Homines, et apprehendebam mentum eorum, et mundus eos de facultatibus suis!" _The lead officer shouted, and the guards suddenly moved forward, grabbing Mitch's arms and holding him still, no matter how much he tried to fight them off. He managed to kick one in the shin, and the officer grunted in pain.

The offended guard turned Mitch around immediately after he kicked him, and swung a fist at Mitch's face. Pain exploded through the side of Mitch's head, and he gasped in pain. He felt something warm drip down his face: it was blood from the cuts where the guard's armor had scraped him. Black edged around his vision, but he fought to stay conscious.

"Mitch!" Scott yelled from beside him. Mitch turned his head towards Scott, blinking blearily, to find him in the same predicament as he was, looking at him worriedly. "I'm fine," he slurred his words slightly, and Scott frowned at him, concerned.

"Are you sure you're—"

"_Vili, lusus naturae." _The guard holding Scott back said loudly. Scott immediately stopped speaking, even though he didn't understand what the Latin-speaking Romans were saying. The officer began to dig through Scott's pockets.

Scott froze in fear. The guard would find the necklace and take it away. His predictions proved themselves true when the officer pulled out the necklace and put it in a leather pouch, securing it onto his belt. They then searched the dazed Mitch, but surprisingly came up with nothing. Scott smiled – he had seen Mitch slide the bracelet into his shoe before the Roman guards came. That, of course, was before the officer ordered him to empty his shoes and pockets.

The officers forced them over to the side of the Colliseum, and then thrust them roughly into a small cell with bars over either exit. The doors shut behind them with a long _clang_, and Mitch leaned against the wall, looking close to tears.

Guilt immediately plummeted in Scott's stomach; this was his fault. If he hadn't wanted to show Mitch the necklace, or pressed the marking on the stone, then none of this mess would have happened. He took Mitch's hand and just held it, comforting him. He couldn't help the electric shocks that ran up his arm from the contact.

He eyed the gash on Mitch's head, which was still bleeding sluggishly, and felt even more to blame. "I'm so sorry," he whispered.

Mitch shook his head, frowning slightly. "No, this wasn't your fault. You didn't know that any of this would happen, Scott." He spoke quietly, and his voice was soft.

"I'm still sorry. This experience was supposed to be fun, not terrifying."

Mitch gave him a small smile. "Well, I suppose you'll have to give me the fun experience next time, then." Scott felt his heart leap. Mitch was giving him a second chance.

Before he could say anything, however, an announcer spoke loudly over the Colliseum, effectively shutting up the crowd. "_Vigilemus poena catholicae familiae nunc!" _

Mitch looked out to the field curiously and gasped. "Oh, no."

Scott turned, and was utterly horrified at the scene in front of him.

A man and woman stood, cowering, against the far wall, protecting a young boy who looked to be around eight. A large lion paced a few meters away, eyeing them. The animal had clearly been starved to the point of near death, which meant that it would eat nearly anything it could.

The lion suddenly pounced, and the woman screamed. Scott couldn't look away as the animal began to rip apart the family, blood spurting everywhere and the screams of anguish echoing around the Colliseum. Scott eventually turned away, the screams becoming too much.

He looked at Mitch, and could see tears running down the counter-tenor's face and his eyes were squeezed shut. Scott sat on the ground, pulling Mitch down with him.

"Come here," he whispered, pulling Mitch into a hug. Soon, Mitch was sobbing into Scott's shoulder, there on the muddy floor of the holding cell, letting all the shock and horror of the day out. Scott swallowed back his own tears and tried to ignore the thought that they would soon suffer the same fate as the family: being ripped apart and eaten by a starved animal. He wondered if he should be making last confessions, or if he should try to find a way to escape. Luckily, he didn't have to choose.

They heard two loud thuds from behind them, and Mitch raised his head off of Scott's shoulder in confusion, his tears drying quickly.

"Boys!" a vaguely familiar voice whispered urgently from the outside of the Colliseum. Scott squinted through the dim lighting and made a sound of complete surprise. "_Mystique?" _he yelped loudly. Mystique shushed him. "Do want us to be caught? I've already knocked down two guards!"

Mitch stood up, and Scott followed his movements. Scott looked at the plump woman disbelievingly. "_You _knocked two guards unconscious?"

Mystique grumbled as she began to unlock the gate separating them. "I had a little help from a large hammer. I've gotten your lost objects from the guards, so be thankful." The gate swung open, and Scott scrambled out immediately, Mitch not far behind him.

Mystique began to lead them away from the Colliseum, and Mitch took the opportunity to lean over to Scott, whispering, "How do you know her?" Scott mumbled in response, "She's the one who gave me the necklace and bracelet."

"Did she know that they had powers?"

"Apparently."

"I can here you boys whispering about me back there, you know!" Mystique called behind her, and both singers stopped talking abruptly. They made the rest of journey in silence, until Mystique stopped in the middle of the road. "Ah, here she is," she muttered.

"What's he—"

Mystique suddenly whistled loudly, and silvery machine shimmered into existence. She opened a door and gestured in, a proud smile on her face. "What?" Mitch breathed from beside Scott, and the blonde couldn't help but agree.

"This," Mystique said, patting the side of the machine. "Is a time machine. It can travel anywhere through space and time." She climbed into the device, and Scott and Mitch reluctantly followed her into the elephant-sized machine.

Lights blinked from everywhere, and on the wall a control panel hung, flashing brightly. There was a large amount of open space, and a large wardrobe sat on clawed feet on the other side of the machine. Mystique shut the door and typed in the current year into the controls, along with selecting Los Angeles from the never-ending list of locations. She then turned towards them, a peculiar expression on her face.

"We have a lot to discuss, boys," she informed them, suddenly looking weary. "I don't know if I can even begin to describe the amount of trouble we're in."

Scott and Mitch exchanged glances, not sure of what to say.

Mystique pressed a hand to her forehead. "The world is in grave danger, boys. People are running around, messing with time in ways they aren't supposed to. They don't mean to mess thing up, but there is one group who's doing it deliberately. They call themselves "The Greater Good", as a sort ironic name for what they have been doing. They already know me and I've caused them enough trouble to become number one on their kill list. We need someone to come and save our sorry asses. And that happens to be you two."

"What?" Mitch asked loudly, his eyes slightly wider and more alert. "We can't save the world? When did this happen? You don't even _know _us!"

"Settle down, boy. You're right; we don't know you. But we do know that you can be trusted, and that's some serious luck right there. When Scott here walked into my shop and took interest to that necklace, something just clicked. I can't explain it; no one can. It's a mystery. But the world is relying on you, boys. I hope you don't decide to let it down."

The door to the time machine suddenly slid open, revealing the inside of Mystique's shop. She stepped out and beckoned them towards her. "Come in, boys, and have some tea. We have a lot to talk about."

Mitch gave Scott a nervous glance and climbed out, following Mystique. Scott took a deep breath.

Things had just gotten a lot bigger.

_**A/N: Romans used to persecute Catholic people and punish them, and one of these punishments was to place them in a stadium with a starving animal with no defense. Romans used to gather around and watch for entertainment. Now, I don't speak Latin and used Google Translate instead, so pardon any mistakes I've made. ;)**_


End file.
